Master of Arts in Criminal Justice

The John Jay Criminal Justice Master of Arts Program has a large, diverse, and celebrated faculty who provide students with an advanced understanding of research and practice in all aspects of the U.S. criminal justice system. Core classes provide a mastery of the major works and theories of criminology, policing, corrections, judicial studies, quantitative research methods and policy analysis.

Students select from a large number of electives to build a specialization in Criminology and Deviance, Criminal Law and Procedure, Policing, Corrections, or Terrorism Studies. Among the many available electives are Crime Mapping, Crime Scene Investigation, Deviant Behavior, and Terrorism & Apocalyptic Violence. Credits earned towards the master’s degree can also count toward one of the following Advanced Certificates in: (1) Crime Prevention and Analysis, (2) Criminal Investigation, (3) Terrorism Studies, and (4) Race and Criminal Justice.

The program is designed for those who wish to obtain a terminal master’s degree as a credential for entry into the criminal justice professions, are employed in the criminal justice system and wish to acquire job-related knowledge or broaden their perspectives, those already employed in the criminal justice system and seek to teach at the community college level or to obtain a post in some other area of the criminal justice system, and those interested in an academic career in higher education, who wish to obtain a master’s degree before entering a doctoral program.

The Master of Arts in Criminal Justice is also offered completely online